Power meters are a common part of domestic and commercial buildings. In recent years, there has been significant growth in technology used to measure and control mains power through the implementation of devices known as smartmeters. Smartmeters typically incorporate real-time or near real-time sensors that record the consumption of electricity and transfer this data remotely for monitoring and billing purposes. Smart metering is able to provide detailed metrics over time, allowing utilities to charge tiered tariffs linked to instantaneous demand and associated generation costs. Due to more granular measurement capabilities, utilities are moving to augment smartmeters with control features that can shed load during peak periods in order to limit peak demand and consequently lower plant and capital costs. Any mechanism used to reduce demand during peak periods is typically referred to as demand response, that definition being adopted herein.
In recent years, the proliferation of smartphones has placed powerful computing devices in the hands of the public. While these devices can generate and transmit wireless commands, their generic wireless systems are not compatible with the standards currently used in domestic or commercial smartmeters, so they cannot natively communicate with such devices in order to exchange information or commands.